I tried Suno, the viral AI song generator — and it was not terrible.
Okay, maybe my expectations for the app were low, but it blew away any misconceptions I had about it. I had expected distorted vocals and poor-quality audio, but the output from inputting “create a ballad about a girl in a toxic relationship” was the most relaxing thing I’ve heard in a while. The voice was soft and smooth, rolling off my phone speakers and gliding into my ears, while the sounds of the instruments merged harmoniously with the music. There was a blandness to the music that stuck out, though, once I was over the surprise of it not being terrible.
Suno AI was released in 2023 by co-founders Keenan Freyberg, Georg Kucsko, Martin Camacho, and Michael Shulman. It has gone viral in the past few weeks, with prospects for it generally on the positive side. What Suno means for the future of music is still uncertain. While some think it may shake up the entertainment industry a bit, others say that nothing of the sort is happening, because when people listen to music, they are not just listening for the sake of it. They actually connect with the humanity of the artist. This is one aspect of making music AI will never be able to take over, at least not yet. The cultural nuances and vocal uniqueness of a musical artist are other aspects AI will not be able to replace, according to most netizens.
Suno’s social sharing features will make it easier for a new kind of digital influencer to emerge, disrupting the music industry the way TikTok comedians have disrupted standup, comedy shows and films and talent pools.
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However, the founders of Suno have said that it is not here to replace human artists but to make music creation more accessible to the general public. Though they did admit that AI-generated music may kill the movie soundtrack, ads, and YouTube background music industry, better known as the Micro-Sync industry. Who would want to pay a composer to compose a score for a movie or buy audio for their YouTube video/ad when they can easily generate it with AI? Very few people.
Suno offers three plans: Free, Pro, and Premier. On the paid plans, you get copyright to the music you create (“subject to Terms and Conditions”).
What I loved most about Suno AI was how easy it was to navigate. All I had to do was visit the site, input my prompt, and create an account (for those trying the site for the first time) to get what I wanted. However, with all the pros of Suno, I found it almost impossible to ignore the bland music. I tried two different genres, and it gave back the most spiceless musical composition from each genre.
Albeit relaxing, I felt it was lacking something. Maybe it was because I knew it was from AI, but the songs lacked depth. The vocals were soft but meh, and the instrumentals were quite good. I think Suno AI would be great for people who would love to experiment with music. I found its ability to merge two or more genres into one exciting. Like the Afrobeat/flamenco union I created: Afromenco! I may have created a new music genre with the help of generative AI. Okay, I’m kidding. (Record labels, call me!)
Have you ever imagined what a progressive house/classical music combination would sound like? Suno will give you an answer. I also played some songs on the site created with AI, and they were quite pleasing to the ears. You should check them out.
I enjoyed using the app to experiment with music and listen to new music created entirely with AI that didn’t sound bad. I think it’s a great AI tool that will catch on with time.